>> MORE THAN 5,000 ENGLISH LEARNERS HAVE ENROLLED IN CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.

MANY OF WHOM ARE THE CHILDREN OF MIGRANT FAMILIES.

INFLUX IS SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON THE SHORTAGE OF BILINGUAL INSTRUCTORS AND SERVICES AT SCHOOLS.

THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION IS CALLING FOR FEDERAL SUPPORT TO HELP TACKLE THE ISSUE.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ARE LINDA AN ORGANIZER WITH THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION AND FORMER SPECIAL EDUCATION AND BILINGUAL TEACHER FOR CHICAGO.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND IVICA VAN DER LACK.

NOW THEY DO VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION POLICY AND RESEARCH AT THE LATINO POLICY THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

I WANT TO GO TO LINDA.

HOW MUCH DOES IT?

HOW MUCH WOULD YOU SAY THE INFLUX OF NEW ARRIVALS STUDENTS HAVE IMPACTED SCHOOLS?

>> YEAH, THINK IT'S BEEN A HUGE IMPACT.

HONESTLY, WE HEAR CONSTANTLY FROM OUR MEMBERS, THEY RIGHT.

5300 NEWCOMERS ENROLLED IN THE DISTRICT AND ALL OF THE SCHOOLS ARE FEELING IT WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR MEMBERS, RIGHT?

THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL BILINGUAL TEACHERS, ADDITIONAL TEA'S RESOURCES IN CURRICULUM AND THE STUDENTS NATIVE LANGUAGE, ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS FOR THAT ARE HOMELESS RADAR DISTRICT 17,000 HOMELESS STUDENTS PRIOR TO THEIR ARRIVAL OF NEWCOMERS.

AND THAT NUMBER HAS INCREASED EVEN MORE AND I THINK THE NEEDS THAT WERE APPARENT PREVIOUS TO THE ARRIVAL OF NEWCOMERS HAS BEEN EVEN INTENSIFIED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF NEWCOMERS IMPROVISE MORE CHALLENGES.

REBECCA, HOW DOES THIS IMPACT A STUDENT'S ABILITY TO LEARN WHAT TO SAY?

YEAH.

AND BY THE WAY, I JUST WANT TO STOP AND SAY HOW THANKFUL I AM THAT YOU'RE COVERING THIS TOPIC.

IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO BE WITH FOLKS ON THE GROUND AND IS REALLY NEEDS TO BE AN ALL HANDS ON DECK.

>> SUPPORT TO MAKE SURE THESE KIDS CAN SUCCEED.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO AS WE DIVE INTO THIS TO REALLY STATE BILINGUAL EDUCATION WORKS.

WE DID A COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CONSORTIUM ON SCHOOL RESEARCH.

THEY LOOKED AT MORE THAN 18,000 KIDDOS WHO NEEDED SUPPORT IN DEVELOPING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE WHILE SUPPORTING THEIR HOME LANGUAGE.

THOSE KIDS WHEN THEY FOLLOWED THEM, WENT ON TO OUTPERFORM THE SYSTEM.

SO THESE KIDS CAN AND WILL DO WELL.

BUT WE NEED THE TEACHERS AND WE NEED THE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THEM.

THAT'S GOING TO BE CRITICAL TO SUPPORT SUPPORT THE STUDENTS AND SUPPORT THEIR FUTURE.

AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN STEPS IN THAT DIRECTION, BUT NEED FEDERAL SUPPORT.

BUT I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THE STATE ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS REALLY LISTENING TO FOLKS ON THE GROUND.

WE KNOW IS HE TO YOU WAS INVOLVED IN COURT HEARINGS AND OTHER TEACHERS TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE AT THE STATE LEVEL, IT'S CALM FROM 19,000 NEWCOMERS TO 36,000 OVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD.

YEAH.

AND NOT TO ALSO MENTION THE SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS.

YES, YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT THAT JUST THE NEED INCREASED.

NOW, LINDA, BE ON THE ARRIVALS.

THIS HAS BEEN A LONGSTANDING CONCERN OF TEACHERS.

WHAT HAVE BEEN THE CHALLENGE IS FINDING MORE BILINGUAL TEACHERS.

CAN YOU TOUCH ON >> YEAH, FOR SURE.

I MEAN, I THINK THAT THERE'S DEFINITELY A NEED FOR A PIPELINE OF BILINGUAL TOO, TO REACH THE CLASS TO READ BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING THAT THERE IS THAT NEED.

AND ADDITIONALLY, CAN MENTION TEA'S THAT CAN SUPPORT IN SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW WHERE THE SUPPORT IS IMMEDIATE RATE BECAUSE TO GO THROUGH THAT PIPELINE TO GO THROUGH A PROGRAM TAKES A FEW YEARS.

BUT WE NEED SUPPORT IN THE IN THE CLASSROOM, RIGHT IN MOMENT.

IT'S A POWER THAT SUPPORT LOOK LIKE.

YEAH, I THINK THEY CAN LOOK IN IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, HONEST.

AND I THINK IT LOOKS LIKE I THINK LIKE I MENTIONED RATE.

IT'S FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE WERE TO RIGHT NOW IN THE CLASSROOM COULD COULD MADE OF WHICH SUPPORT.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING SCHOOLS THAT MAY NOT HAVE BILINGUAL SERVICES AND NEED NATIVE LANGUAGE SUPPORT RATE.

WE ARE IN CONVERSATION WITH CPS APART STARTING A T A POOL TO TO SAINT TEA'S TO THAT MEET THE SUPPORTS AND REBECCA BILINGUAL INSTRUCTION ONLY GOES UP TO 5TH GRADE.

WHY?

JUST 5TH GRADE.

SO BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACTUALLY BE EXTENDED.

IF THERE SUFFICIENT STUDENTS IN THAT SCHOOL SYSTEM.

>> AND ONE THING I WANTED TO JUST COMPLIMENT THE ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS PROPOSED 35 MILLION IN THE STATE BUDGET FOR NEWCOMERS.

IT'S A LINE LINE ITEM FOR THIS POPULATION FOR THE THINGS THAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT.

BILINGUAL TEACHERS, YOU CAN USE IT FOR SOCIAL WORKER STAFF.

WE KNOW THE STUDENTS NOT JUST ACADEMICALLY.

THEY'RE STRONG AND SO WOULD JUST SAY THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE SO AT MONEY IS BEING PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET WE CAN TO THROUGH.

SO IF I WAS OUT TALK TO LEGISLATURE, LEGISLATORS SO WE CAN VOTE IN SUPPORT OF IT, BUT THOSE DOLLARS WOULD BE APPROVED BY THE SPRING.

SO THAT WOULD BE FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

APPROVED 35 MILLION DOLLARS IS A GREAT START AND WE NEED MORE BECAUSE LIKE I'M MENTIONING WAY, TEACHERS ARE SEEING SO MANY NEEDS IN THE CLASSROOM AND THEY ARE DOING THE BEST THAT THEY CAN WITH WHAT THEY HAVE.

>> AND THEY'RE DOING RIGHT THE MOST.

AND WE NEED LIKE THE THE BUT THE FROM THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOING TO TALKING ABOUT THAT RECENTLY SEE 2 CALLED OFF FOR MORE FEDERAL SUPPORT.

DOES THIS GO BEYOND FUNDING AND HOW WOULD THIS SUPPORT HELP THIS ISSUE?

>> BUT MONEY WOULD HELP IMMENSELY 8 TO GET THESE THESE RESOURCES, THIS CURRICULUM.

BUT EDUCATORS, THE TEA'S INTO THE CLASSROOM US TELL US SUPPORTS THAT ARE NEEDED.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING OUR TEACHERS THAT RIGHT, COLLECTING COATS, COLLECTING BOOTS, COLLECTING SCARRED.

SO THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING.

THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING COLLECTING FOOD FOR FAMILIES THAT NEED IT.

AND THIS ADDITIONAL MONETARY SUPPORT CAN HELP RIGHT LIKE TO MEET THOSE NEEDS THAT WE'RE RECORD.

YOU DID TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT RIGHT NOW.

WHAT MORE EFFORTS FROM THE STATE AND CITY HAVE BEEN MADE TO RECRUIT BILINGUAL TEACHERS?

IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TOWARDS SCHOLARSHIP THERE'S A MINORITY TEACHER, ILLINOIS SCHOLARSHIP.

THERE'S A SET ASIDE FOR BILINGUAL.

>> THE GOVERNOR PUT 45 MILLION INTO TEACHER VACANCY.

CRANSTON, A LOT OF DISTRICTS WITH WITH POPULATIONS.

I THINK THIS SPECIFIC LINE ITEM, THOUGH, THE 35 MILLION IS GOING TO BE HUGE TO SUPPORT THESE KIDS.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WOULD WORK IN THE LONG RUN?

I THINK IN THE LONG RUN, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT CREATIVE WAYS TO TAP INTO A PIPELINE OF BILINGUAL TEACHERS.

WE HAVE WONDERFUL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS RIGHT NOW ON THEIR WAY TO GETTING THE STATE SEAL A BY LITERACY.

THERE'S A WONDERFUL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM CALLED EDUCATORS RISING GREAT THEY TAPPED INTO THOSE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND GOT THEM INSPIRED.

THERE'S FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITIES RIGHT NOW THAT SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH, MAYBE HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN ANOTHER ANOTHER AREA.

THEY CAN ACTUALLY GET A PROVISIONAL LICENSE AND BE SUPPORTED TO GET A DEGREE.

AND I THINK LINDA REALLY SPOKE WELL ABOUT PARA PROFESSIONALS.

WE KNOW THERE ARE MORE DIVERSE THAN OR TEACHER PIPELINE.

WHAT KIND OF TRAINING AND SUPPORT CAN WE GIVE WINDOW WILL HAVE A COUPLE SECONDS.

WHAT DO YOU?

THERE ARE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PARA MENTOR PROGRAMS AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.

AND THOSE PARA MENTORS CAN USED AS SO WE NEED THAT SUPPORT IN ORDER TO GET THEM INTO TO DO THIS.

WE